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This is not the first time that Donald Trump’s AI slop posts have ignited controversy.

But when he posted a depiction of Kharg Island being destroyed in a series of explosions, people had questions.

Is this some new attempt to threaten Iran during this disastrous war?

Is Trump even aware that the video isn’t real?

‘Kharg Island being blown to smithereens’

On Monday, August 31, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account to post a bizarre video.

The clearly AI slop image depicted the destruction of oil storage tanks, docks, refineries, and more.

The video is from the point of view of inside of a helicopter, which surveys the catastrophic bombing of an island.

Though technological literacy and other context clues make it clear that the video is fake, that might not be apparent to some who might view the video and believe it to be real.

“Kharg Island being blown to smithereens,” Trump captioned the video, signing it: “President DJT.”

Trump posts AI slop with the caption, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 30, 2026 at 10:23 PM

To start with, we should emphasize that not only is the video a fabrication, but it does not depict an actual event.

Kharg Island, a major oil refinery site for Iran, has not been destroyed.

Reports do say that Larak Island — another Iranian island — was bombed today. But that is, in fact, a different island.

Is Trump threatening Kharg Island and, more broadly, Iran with his post?

Did he confuse one island for another?

The name of the island the US bombed today is Larak. It is hundreds of kilometers from Kharg.

This is at least the second time Trump claimed the US destroyed Kharg Island. He’s also threatened to take it many times. US forces have not targeted Kharg Island since the first phase of the war in March.

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— Nicholas Grossman (@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social) August 30, 2026 at 11:45 PM

Does Donald Trump know that the video that he posted isn’t real?

At first, looking at the slop video of Kharg Island’s destruction appears puzzling.

Does Trump believe that the American people will believe that it’s real? (Iran, obviously, does not.)

Alternatively, is this his attempt at issuing a threat? He has done little else for six months as he expends America’s military resources and blows the Pentagon’s budget on this pointless war.

Then, a more creeping fear sinks in: Does Trump know that the video is fake?

Probably. He probably knows that the video is not real. Though he has in the past expressed confusion over AI slop and even simple photo editing that is not meant to deceive, Trump hopefully knows that the video isn’t real. But it’s sad that we even have to wonder.

Trump: “My preference has always been to take Kharg Island. I don’t know that America has the stomach for it, to be honest with it. You’d make a fortune.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) June 11, 2026 at 8:54 AM

The recent coverage of Natalie Harp and her feverish devotion to Trump has been just one part of a larger conversation about Trump’s tenuous connection to reality.

Even early during the Iran War, Trump would refer to supercuts of destruction of military targets in an excited tone, like a young child describing what he’d just seen, as if unaware that these clips were edited to appease him.

It is probably not good, on any level, that we have doubts as to whether Trump knows which island the US military just bombed or whether he is lucid enough to know when a video is AI slop or authentic.

(Today, he also posted a demand for Americans to love AI data centers. Presumably, this was at the urging of tech influencers who are desperately fighting a sea of hard-earned ill will while hoping to delay the popping of the AI bubble for a few more months.)

We live in a dismal timeline. Not the darkest, however. We could have all of this and also Spencer Pratt as LA mayor. Thankfully, that is not the case.

Things could always get worse — but they could also get significantly better. We don’t have to live this way.

Donald Trump Posts AI Destruction of Kharg Island: Does He Know It’s Not Real? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Even when Mel Gibson can no longer surprise with bad behavior, he still manages to shock.

Appearing on stage, the polarizing-at-best actor mocked the ASL interpreter.

Yes, this is on video. It is short and anything but sweet.

Some would say that he doesn’t understand how hateful his conduct is. Others would argue that he simply does not care.

Is Mel Gibson a good person? Signs point to ‘no’

On Saturday, August 29, moderator Liam Crowley introduced Mel Gibson at the Fan Expo Canada.

The actor walked onto the stage on cue at the Toronto event.

We can see the ASL interpreter signing for the deaf and hard-of-hearing members of the audience.

As he walks out, Gibson appears to mimic — or mock — the ASL interpreter.

Crowley graciously avoids commenting and allows Gibson’s fans (He has them! There must be dozens of them, at least, by the sound of it) to cheer. Online, however, the backlash was intense.

Being a misogynistic racist wasn’t enough, so Mel Gibson decided to mock the deaf community.

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— Shawn Patrick Farrell (@shawnfarrell.bsky.social) August 31, 2026 at 4:44 AM

“Always disappointing to see my language mocked. We work hard to get our language recognized and be taken seriously,” tweeted one social media user.

“Why hasn‘t he been blacklisted from everywhere yet? Genuinely don‘t get it,” asked a bewildered person.

(The answer is that “cancel culture” is a talking point, not a real cultural phenomenon — not in a way that impacts terrible men with any degree of power.)

“It’s ridiculous the Mel Gibson is able to show up to concerts and events in Toronto and people are welcoming him with open arms,” expressed another tweet. “It’s nauseating.”

One individual simply asked: “I don’t even know why he was invited to Fan Expo when he has a history of this behaviour.”

Mind you Mel Gibson asked Winona Ryder if she was an “oven dodger” bc she’s Jewish. https://t.co/r69yvXYE38 pic.twitter.com/76UPd8ahbK

— Charmer ✒️ (@CharmerMemerTWT) January 16, 2025

He is pretty loud and (usually) proud of not being a good person

If you are unfamiliar, Mel Gibson’s history of controversies goes back decades.

Do you know how homophobic you needed to sound to be called out for in the early 1990s?

He was also accused of referring to Winona Ryder as an “oven-dodger,” a Holocaust reference. Far from his first accusation of antisemitism.

Though Gibson claimed that the beloved actress was merely lying, he could not say the same after his 2006 arrest video showed the world his antisemitic ranting.

Elements of his alleged bigotry have also filtered into his film projects. The Passion of the Christ was accused of pushing an antisemitic narrative, while Apocalypto pushed an ahistorical and arguably anti-indigenous one.

Mel Gibson mocking an ASL interpreter at FanExpo?? Damn thats pretty low. I guess there was no way of knowing he would do something like that…… he always seemed so chill and respectful towards marginalized people

— annabelle (@mowderz.bsky.social) August 31, 2026 at 11:56 AM

In 2010, audio tapes leaked in which Gibson appeared to make threats and say the N-word while speaking to Oksana Grigorieva. By “appeared to make threats” we mean that, among other things, he threatened to burn down her house.

Becoming one of the Trump regime’s Hollywood ambassadors, whatever that means, has not helped.

It is possible that Gibson’s history of being one of the worst people in the entertainment industry has influenced how people respond to what some might say is just the ignorant antics of an old man in his 70s.

But many argue that it’s more likely that one despicable old man is simply being consistent against various groups — this time, the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Meanwhile, we’re all left wondering why he’s still receiving invitations to events. Who is excited to see him? Why does he still have any number of fans?

Mel Gibson Allegedly Mocks ASL Interpreter in Gross Video was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip